Got My Dutch and Tissue

Listen, I just want to cringe every time I remember posting about my missing package. I mean, what a bully. If I can get that cranky from missing a calorie or two, just imagine how awful I am when I am doing a prayer fast? (Which I need to do because it's been a while...)

Anyway.

My missing-but-not-really-missing package arrived. Yay! I'm good for toilet tissue for the next several weeks. Also, I got my water. Water is important when you are trying to lose weight. For one thing, if you drink enough water, it's easier to ignore junky snacks. It's actually even kind of hard to want any food when all that water is literally sloshing around inside you. Yeah.  But I'm getting off track.

Guess what other wonderful thing arrived?

The Dutch oven.

That thing is freaking beautiful.  I was a little worried about a couple of imperfections but they are small and I am choosing to ignore them for now. I don't think they will be a problem. If so, I will let Amazon hear about it...

Anyway, I went ahead and broke it in by fixing my one meal for the day. I had 2 brat sausages and some plain mixed veggies. That's one benefit to using cast iron - you don't have to use much oil at all. I would have taken a photo the way Instagram folk always do but I was finished eating before I thought of it  It was (as my little niece says) "da-nicious".

What I love most about this pot is that the lid is made to be used separately as a skillet.

It's the 5-quart pot

 Yass, girl, I know, right? Even though the whole thing was pre-seasoned, I re-seasoned the pot while I fixed my lunch in the lid/skillet. The food turned out nicely and I didn't even have much trouble cleaning out the veggie residue. When cooking with very little oil, some food will stick on cast iron until it becomes better seasoned with use. (Here's a tip: use some salt and a little oil to wipe out stuck on food bits.) That always worked for my mom and it's kept my other cast iron going good for years.

I have carried this skillet with me from Anchorage to Arizona to here and have had it for at least 16 or 17 years. Originally, it was my sister's "breakfast pan" that she used for cooking small meals when there wasn't the usual army of us to feed. When our mother stopped cooking on a regular basis, my sister Mike inherited all of her cast iron and she passed this small pan on to me. When Mike died, I gave all the other cast iron pieces to my nieces because I'm never going to be feeding as many people as they do.

I have some newer ones, but this one is a keeper

Anyway.

My not-a-diet eating plan these days is heavy on vegetables with small portions of meat for protein and variety. And make sure everything has flavor, flavor, flavor. The sausages and simple veggies were fine to test the new skillet, but I'm ready to do a larger meal with a lot of sweet onions, green onions, bell peppers, and garlic. I adore stinky veggies. Caramelized onions and fresh-roasted garlic are my favorites. Bell peppers are so expensive here - in the freaking food belt of the nation - that when I get ready to buy them, I have to make some serious life decisions and rearrange my budget. And don't even think about finding any fish that's not farmed unless you have some serious cash to spend. But that's okay because, if I have enough onion and garlic, I don't care if I have anything else to go with a meal of mixed vegetables. But I was told by one of my nurses to make sure I am getting enough protein so I'm supposed to always have a least a little portion of meat... So I'm going to be eating a lot of chicken and sausages. Hopefully, if I work my recipes right, I won't have to cook but once every three or four days.

The oven wasn't the only thing I was happy about. That Amazon Presto brand tissue is the business! I ordered it without high expectations. I just hoped that, for the price, it would be as good as Charmin. Listen. That tissue beats the heck out of every other "soft" and plush tissue I've used. And the rolls are humongous. I ordered a pack each of the "ultra strong" and "ultra soft" versions of the Presto tissue. I'm not as crazy about the "strong" version (though it's strong enough) because I prefer the soft version. And the soft version is actually strong enough. At least, it doesn't shred and come apart. You could clean up small spills with this tissue. I won't call out the last brand I used (because it's a decent brand of tissue), but look at the difference:

And the spool on the smaller roll takes up more space...

Right???? That gigantic thing barely fit on my tissue roller. The other brand was a little cheaper than the Presto but it was a good tissue (good enough that I have bought it a few times), but for the size of the Presto roll (and the softness), there was no competition. I have found my new favorite tissue. Of course, I have to use up all of the "strong" version before I buy any more of the "soft" stuff. Now that I have tried the tissue, I might have to check out some more items from the Presto brand.

So, yeah, I am in a much better mood tonight. I have eaten a healthy meal, drank gallons (or at least quarts) of water, and I have the Dutch oven I always wanted. By the way, you do know that there are reasons people cook in cast iron, right? The main reason my mother and grandmothers did was that cast iron distributes heat better than most pans. Also - and this was something my mother taught me - anemics can benefit from the added iron that leeches into food cooked in cast iron. Now, once you get a cast iron pot or pan well-seasoned, it's perfect because food doesn't stick and there are none of the chemicals that other "non-stick" cookware use.

It took me about a year to get one of my newer cast iron skillets fully and totally seasoned. And I mean, seasoned to the point of the pan's surface becoming almost completely smooth and non-stick. If I had cooked in it more than once or twice a month, it would have gotten there so much sooner.

Now, frying isn't the only thing you can do in a cast iron pan - which is why I wanted this deep Dutch oven. My mom and grandma cooked almost everything in cast iron - soups, stews, chili, roasts, baked meat, and pies and cobblers even. I'm not sure they ever owned many other types of pans. I fix cornbread in my large skillet all the time, and Indian fry bread too. You can make delicious (and quick) bread in it. Like I can't say enough, cast iron holds heat really well and keeps a more even temperature inside than most pans of other materials. If you get a pan with a good-sealing lid, even better. The only possible downside to cast iron is that it's so heavy. I usually just keep the pieces I use most out on an empty burner or in the oven. You don't want to drop one of those bad boys on a toe or on your flooring...

If you go online to look, it might be hard to find a lot of recipes for cooking in a cast iron Dutch oven - on the stove or in the oven. Just about anything you cook in any other skillet or pan, you can cook in cast iron, but you just might not find many recipes online. Lots of people use cast iron for camp-cooking - again, I think because it's strong and durable and holds heat so well... However, I found this easy bread recipe from Jenny freaking Jones - remember, she had that talk show? Now she is on YouTube with some really good recipes. I check out her videos all the time and she has this one for a No-Knead Bread. You may never want to hassle with making any other kind of bread after this. I tried this recipe using a neighbor's deep-welled enameled pan. It takes time to bake it, of course, but the prep is so fast. I am not a huge fan of enameled cast iron, by the way. It's pretty and easier to clean (at first) but it can be a little delicate. I don't think I get the same flavor from food cooked in the enamel kind.

By the way, if you are interested in Jenny Jones's recipes (and you should be because she certainly can cook), here's her YouTube channel and her website. Now I have to go and drink another bottle of water before I slosh off to bed.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Flour Sack Towels (for the kitchen)

For anyone who likes to cook or bake, towels are essential. Towels for wiping up, towels for handling dishes, towels for covering foods, towels for - well, you get what I mean.

I have been getting by these past several months with towels from the Dollar General or the discount aisle at Walmart. You can find some decent kitchen towels at both places, but I never did. Also, I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

Since I've been doing so much baking lately, I decided to try out a couple of affordable brands of flour sack towels I've seen on Amazon.

This first set from Bosubari is just under $10 and is made of a fairly thick and durable spun cotton.

The next group is from Utopia Kitchen and came in a 12-pack of ring spun towels for about $16.

At first, I was going to review these towels as to which set was better. After using and laundering both, I can't really put one over the other. They had different qualities that I like. Let's look at the Bosubari set first.

Bosubari Towels Pros & Cons

PROS

• Thick, sturdy and has a little weight
• Good for covering dough during proofing
• Can be tucked into the waistband and used for an apron

CONS

• Not as good for cleaning messes & didn't launder as well as the Utopia Kitchen towels

I find that I use these more when I'm baking. Mostly I use them for covering doughs during proofing or for keeping finished bread from drying out. They were too thick for me to use as padding for a lid when steaming some bao buns recently.

Utopia Kitchen Towels Pros & Cons

PROS

• The lighter weight makes them versatile
• Thin enough for cleaning messes and spills
• They launder better than the Bosbari towels

CONS

• Some came out of laundry with irregular shaping/didn't square up

Overall Impression of Both Sets

These are the Utopia Kitchen towels, but
the Bosubari also had a cloth tie

I am happy with all the towels. Because of the general quality and usefulness, I would have saved money by buying these in the first place instead of getting all the cheaper towels. They have held up well under washing and using so I expect to have them for a while. 

I think of the Utopia towels as very "every day" and utilitarian. The heavier Bosubari towels are, in my opinion, more "chef-like".

The main test of a product is whether users would purchase again. Would I buy more? Absolutely. I decided a couple of months ago that I will only be giving the most useful things as gifts. These towels are on my list to give to the cooks and bakers in the family.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** GoWISE USA 5.8-Quarts 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer XL

While I do love my Instant Pot and am so very glad that I got it, it does not crisp foods. If I want to fry something or put a crust on chicken or fish, I have to move them to the oven. Or just fry them in a skillet. (There is a Saute function that browns some foods, but I have to figure out how much oil I can use...)

Until I figure out how to use the IP for shallow frying some foods, someone suggested using an air fryer for a healthier diet. This is the one I snagged on one of the recent Lightning Deals.

looks like something out of a sci-fi movie

That, my friends, is the GoWISE USA 5.8-quart Air Fryer. I'm not thrilled at the "8-in-1" label they slapped on this thing. The 8 they mention is just for the 8 presets on the control panel. What this could correctly be called is a 4-in-1 because it will fry, bake, grill, and roast. So. Yeah.

Let me just say right off that this thing is a lot bigger and -heavier than I thought it was going to be. A LOT. ** On the other hand, the one thing I liked right off was how attractive the unit is. I didn't appreciate this fully until I turned it on.

It's pretty, but so are most "bimbos"

Okay, so with that out of the way, let me go over the Pros and Cons I see after having used this on 2 items today. I cooked fresh cut potato fries first, then I attempted to crisp a game hen that I had already cooked in the Instant Pot.

PROS -

• The basket is rather large and roomy. I was able to fit a whole cornish game hen inside - one a small metal rack - and had room for a second hen if I'd wanted.
• The unit runs fairly quiet. I was able to hold a phone conversation easily while it was running.
• It's attractive, especially when powered up. For someone with enough counter space, it looks nice enough to leave out when not in use.
• Air frying certainly seems safer than pan-frying with oil.
• If cakes turn out well using the fryer, that will be another Plus.

CONS - 

• I was not thrilled with the results of my fries when cooked to the suggested time and temp. I will probably adjust to a lesser time to get the crispiness I want without drying out the potatoes.
• The hen did crisp up but didn't look very appealing. I am hoping that battered chicken with come out better. Again, I think the results might be better with adjusted time and temps.
• I don't think that the presets are very useful and I will need to come up with my own or look to other users for better ones.
• The control panel can be a bit confusing, especially as to the ones for setting the cooking time and the alarm time. Some buttons seem, in my opinion, to be completely useless. That could be user idiocy.
• The unit is large, which is a good thing for those with room for it. Because the air vents need to be kept away from walls and things that melt, that adds to the space needed when running the machine. I had just enough space to safely use it. Storage is also an issue for small-space homes.
• Getting the basket out took a little bit of hand strength. This could be a good thing because I know now that it won't just pop loose when I am shaking food in it, but it was also a bit annoying.
• The normal price of the unit is, again in my opinion, a bit high for something of a single-function. An oven can replace the fryer in most instances for those that want healthier options to pan-frying.
• Clean-up is not fun. I even lined the bottom of the pan with foil (which helped) but still had a time maneuvering the big pan around in sink to clean it.
• I expected better from the fryer as far as appearance and textures of food. 

I'm not sure why appliances that do basically one thing are so expensive. I snagged this one on a deal, but today the price shown is $79.00. Unless I can do get more day to day use from this, I would not spend that amount for the fryer.

You can see that I found more negative than positive about the fryer. However, I have not fully tested all it's supposed to be able to do. I might have to update this when I've tried cooking more foods in it. If this works well on cakes, that might be a huge positive.

And, if I have to be stuck with it, at least it's a quiet thing...

Again, I don't see a huge advantage of using this over using a stove - other than the fact it might cut back on heat in summer months. Frankly, this is not an appliance I am that excited about. I am considering sending it back but that means forfeiting $15 for a return shipping fee... ~sigh~

Peace

--Free


P.S.: I fried some chicken cracklins (seasoned skin) and some gizzards. These turned out pretty good so I am a little happier with the product.

** NOTE about the size of the product - this is about the same size as the 8-quart Instant Pot, as you can see. However, it is a great deal heavier to lift and store on top of my fridge.

**REVIEW** Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1

Welp. I finally got my Instant Pot, thanks to a dear, dear friend who heard about my wishes via social media. I truly am a blessed woman in the friend department.

Let me start by saying that I wondered if all the hype was deserved. I will let you know in a moment what I have determined for myself.

Another thing you need to know is that I will never understand why this thing is not called the InstaPot. That's what I always called it and when I first noticed it was "Instant Pot", wondered if I wasn't under the Mandela Effect!

Anyway, here is the famous Instant Pot (aka IP):

You know that "InstaPot © ™" sounds so much better!!!

There are a number of models (and capacity sizes). I got the Duo60 in the 6-quart. I'm single but often cook enough food to last for a week. Also, I want to be able to cook a whole chicken (or very small turkey) in the IP.

My first impressions...

I like that the inner pot is stainless steel. I've been mainly using my cast iron and trying to stay away from everything else (copper, Teflon, and other potentially harmful materials).

My IP doesn't have the same markings as some of the other Duos I've seen online in videos and the like. I have the simple 2-line markings instead of the 4 or more lines I've seen. After watching a lot of videos and reading multiple reviews, I notice that it seems to be a thing that people get different types of lids and inner pots on the same models. Not a big deal, but I would have liked to have more detailed markings.

It's a very nice looking machine and quite a bit heavier and bigger than I expected (which is a good thing, IMO) and much nicer looking than this or other photos show. I have a very small kitchen so I keep my IP on top of the fridge when I'm not using it.

The instruction booklet was decent but, in my opinion, fell short in some ways. For people new to using any type of pressure cooker, I think there should have been better information about a few things. You will see what I mean in a moment.

To give you a newbie's perspective, I'm going to share the notes I took when getting ready to deal with this thing for the first time.

Now, on to the prep and use

Right off, I had a couple of concerns about the idea of using a pressure cooker since I grew up watching my mom use the old-fashioned - and potentially exploding - kind. I wanted to totally understand the steam/vent settings. Understand that some of what I'm going to say might not be as much of a concern for you. I have cognitive issues and have to read and re-read instructions.

The markings for the steam/vent settings are just embossed on the black lid and hard to read. I literally had to use my camera light to see them before I started testing out the machine.

Also, in the above photo, notice the icons - wave lines and puff cloud. The cloud made sense for the venting setting (releasing steam when done cooking), but the wavy lines... I wanted to set the machine to be sealed but the knob only turns as far as the wavy lines. I was worried that my knob might be broken or mis-positioned. I scoured the internet before I was reassured that the IP was indeed sealed once I turned the knob to those wavy lines.

The IP did come with a not-bad manual (and a cookbook!).

However, the diagrams could have been better for us newbies. Also, as a former imports brokerage trainer who wrote manuals, I believe instructions should be simple but complete. They should never be the least bit confusing.

Not to harp on the whole "pressure cookers can be scary" thing, but one part of the user manual made me anxious and sent me running back online for clarification. I was already worried about the positioning the knob correctly...

... but then there this mention of an "anti-block" shield. Well, that does sound kind of important since it's up there in the underside of the steam knob.

After checking around, I think I have that figured out. Don't take this for gospel but I believe the little metal (not the rubber one) covering shown in the diagram is to stop frothy foods from clogging the steam release. I think. I wish the instructions would have noted that right next to the diagram. I also wish it had been noted that the thing only needs to be removed for cleaning it out.

Some more newbie stumbling blocks...

On the Pro side, the user manual includes a "test run" for newbies to see how the machine works. On the Con side, I was a little scared of the test. My main issue was that I didn't know how to tell the machine was working.

A "Start" button would be nice. Even a "Go" button would work. With this IP, you key in the settings (whether to saute or steam or pressure cook) and, if needed, adjust the timer and pressure levels. That's it. I could kind of tell that the machine was working because the display popped up an "ON" message. That's handy (and then I noticed the instructions for test run noted this) but, still. I want to be a little more in control here.

There is a "Cancel" button. Now that I have learned when the machine is done and safe to be opened, I always hit Cancel. I hit Cancel and immediately unplug the machine. I am always worried about leaving any appliances on. I even unplug the manual coffee pot I sometimes use.

One lesson I learned right away was where to place the IP in the kitchen while using it. In the pressure mode, steam will need to be released. During the test run, I had the steam nozzle directly under the spice cabinet. Luckily, I realized this in time and moved the machine. Not only could I have damaged the cabinets but I likely would have risked drying out my spices when all that moisture evaporated. When I use the pot now, I put it away from counters with overhead cabinets. (Actually, I have such a tiny kitchen, I only have one such counter!)

Lessons learned from experienced users...

I learned much more from other users' videos and informative blogs than I did from the manual. Some users highlighted what they learned from the manual and their experience and I appreciate that.

I learned not to use the IP on the stove. And by that, I mean not to set the IP on the stove because, well, maybe you have a tiny kitchen... (I couldn't have done that because the stovetop is  too small!)

That some people forget to insert the lining and just pour water or food right onto the IP heating element doesn't surprise me. I could totally see myself doing that so I make sure to always, always, clean and place the inner pot back.

One of the first videos I watched really helped ease my anxiety about my first time with the IP. The lady in the video was so awesome that I watched a couple more of her vlogs. Her channel is Naturally Brittany and here are her vids I loved:

She does a yogurt lesson but that's going to have to wait until after I master the cheesecake this dude did...

But getting back to basics here is another helpful video for newbies

When you get your user manual, you will see that there are Facebook groups and other places on social media to connect up with other IP users.

Is it worth the hype?

Yes. Yes, the Instant Pot lives up to its popularity. Once I got over my fears of working with a pressure cooker, I fell in love. I have some main reasons:

• I can cook frozen meats - no waiting to thaw
• Juices get locked in on my chicken and burgers
• Cleanup is crazy easy - both for the kitchen and the IP. It's mostly one-pot cooking so I only had to straighten kitchen from food prep.
• My first meal was tough collard green stems (that take forever to cook on the stove top) and some chicken breasts. I did both things at one time in about 7 minutes cook time.
• I get more flavor out of my food because the water isn't evaporating away. (Those burgers were the juiciest ever.)
• Even if I never use the Yogurt, Porridge, or Multigrain settings, I am getting more use out of this than any other cooking appliance I have. (And I might actually use those 3 settings soon.)
• I'm less tempted to microwave my food. It takes so little time to cook things that I don't mind spending some on seasoning and dressing up the food.
• It really has been healthier for me. Two meals in and I have had lots of fresh veggies and non-fried meats.
• Because I know that cleanup is going to be quick and the food will be ready faster, I don't mind cooking even when I'm not feeling my best.

And let me just admit that what really hooked me on the IP was when I saw the guy making a cheesecake that came out nicely. That is the next project for this Instant Pot.

Peace
--Free

**RECIPES** Brown Sugar Bread & Lemon Tea Loaf

I've been vaping to quit cigarettes and haven't had an actual light-em-up smoke for over 2 months now. Of course, I put down the cigs and started picking up anything halfway edible. That had to stop. Alas, I love food, whether I smoke or not, so I had to start sticking to good, wholesome meals and find a couple of sweets that aren't overloaded with calories. Here are my two favorite bread recipes that fulfill my sweet tooth. They are really easy and quick to make and they are sooo good.

This first recipe is one that I found on a lifestyle blog by this lady. I want her to be my friend. Do check out the site because, well, yum!

 I modified the original to include chopped walnuts and that's my favorite way to have it. This is her recipe and nutrition info.

Brown Sugar Bread (from Julie Blanner)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c brown sugar
• 4 c flour
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 c milk
• 2/3 c vegetable oil

(I cut this recipe in half and add a tablespoon of organic chocolate powder and about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts)

DIRECTIONS

• Grease 6 mini loaf pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat eggs, milk, and oil.
• Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist.
• Pour batter into pans an inch below to compensate for rising. Optional: sprinkle sugar on top.
• Bake 40 minutes.

Julie notes that you can also make this in 2 - 1 pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just 1 loaf pan and bake 50 minutes. That's what I do unless I am sharing with my brother's family.

This is not an overly sweet bread and when I add the nuts, I find it to be very filling and satisfying. I like it so much that there are days when I eat nothing else but this bread. The last time I made some, I did a large loaf for my brother's house and 2 small loaves - one for me and one for my neighbor who is always bringing me juice and fruits.

Speaking of my brother (the youngest, I mean), his favorite treat is the Lemon Tea Loaf that I make. The recipe came from a set of recipes my brother's MIL gave to me over a year ago as a sort of housewarming gift. To keep it safe while I was setting up the rest of the apartment, I put it in the storage cubby. And forgot about it. Unfortunately, I can't refer you to the easytobake.com site because it's now dead. The link I will give is to a similar online recipe that I have tried, but recipe below is from the Easy To Bake card.

Lemon Tea Loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c sugar (for the cake)
• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp grated lemon rind
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c milk
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350
• Oil & flour (lightly) 3 5 3/4-inch x 3-inch pans 
• Combine sugar and butter in large bowl and beat with mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes on medium speed). Stir in eggs and lemon rind and beat 1 minute. 
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir this flour mixture and the milk into the sugar/butter mixture.
• Pour batter into pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (35-40 minutes).
• Set pans aside to cool slightly. Pierce tops of loaves several times with skewer (or piece of spaghetti!)
• Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and drizzle slowly over the loaves (and holes) until all the liquid has been absorbed. Let cool another 10 minutes or so and remove from pans to cool completely.

I modified this recipe slightly by adding some lemon flavoring to the batter and then using much more glaze than indicated. My brother likes the tanginess of the lemon so, yeah.

I also made this once and then put a twist on the serving method. I sliced the loaves very thinly then made sandwiches with a filling of cream cheese that I whipped with some lemon and sugar. My neighbor and I ate them before I took photos so... Guess I will have to make more and do an update!

This is what a loaf looks like. Next time I make some, I want to try freezing them for later. We will see how that turns out.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Flight Olive Oil Sprayer (not just for oil...)

Let me start by clarifying something: the product I'm going to tell you about is (technically) for kitchen use. Technically. But we all know that you can't always stay in the box. First, though, this is the item I'm talking about:

That is the Flight Olive Oil Sprayer.

If it were just used as an olive oil sprayer, that would be cool because it really does spray the oil. Once you pump air into the system, it creates enough pressure that you can then spray a literal mist of oil onto your food. Awesome. There's no dripping or spilling, just spritzing the oil onto your food.

The oil sprays like water!

Do you see how fine the mist is? It was actually hard to capture on film.

Now, I was so excited when I used this the first time to finish seasoning some chicken because I realized another use for the sprayer.

Since this will spray something as thick as olive oil without clogging, I thought it might be good for spraying carrier oils. I love the sprayer that I currently use for my hair and cosmetic purposes, but I'm afraid to use anything heavier than essential oils and water. The Flight sprayer can be used for mixing my heavier hair and skin concoctions. It would be amazing to use this for blending together some Pumpkin Seed and Geranium oils to moisturize my hair and face.

I was only given one sprayer for the review so I have to wait until I can purchase a second one before I start testing hair and skin mixtures. For now, I'm using this one strictly for cooking. Since I was doing a quick review anyway I thought I might as well tell you guys about my thoughts for other uses.

Peace
--Free


DISCLOSURE: I received one or more products mentioned in this post for free/at discount. I was not asked to do a review.

Cookbooks and Memories

It is said that smells trigger memories. I believe that. I can smell a fresh-baked cinnamon roll and I instantly transport back to primary school days. We were staying temporarily near family in Arkansas while Daddy was overseas. One of my aunties worked in the school cafeteria and (this is back when they served a great breakfast in schools) she made sure that I always got a cinnamon roll and the chocolate milk.

Certain sights can also send me back into my vault of memories. This can sometimes work in a strange way. If I see an elderly woman posturing in a particular way - holding her purse just so, or fanning her face with a piece of paper - I think of all the church ladies from my childhood. Don't even let me see some old lady wearing a bad wig! I immediately remember a specific church sister who I'll leave unnamed.

My biggest memory tweaks come from food and cooking. My mother was a wonderful cook. She was a natural in the kitchen. I don't think I ever saw Mama measure anything. Many years back, one of my sisters-in-law decided that she was going to write down Mama's recipes. The only way she managed to do so was to wait until Mama visited. My sister-in-law would stand by with pen and paper while Mama cooked just so she could eyeball the measurements Mom used in her dishes. Thankfully, my sister-in-law did get down a lot of the recipes and I have a copy that I left behind with the nieces in Anchorage. I'm going to need them to send me another copy!

I was thinking of my mother the other day when I unpacked a cookbook I bought a long while back. I had to order another copy because I want to share it with some relatives. Going through this cookbook is like flipping through a mental photo album of memories.

 I tell people that this is not just a cookbook for African Americans but a cookbook, history course, and cultural gem for all people. The collection is from the Tuskegee Institute and there are a lot of historical photos and little anecdotes included. But it's the recipes that stir my memories...

My mother was from Texas and she and her Mexican friends would joke about the blacks and Mexicans boosting the rice economy every time they shopped. I myself preferred (and still do) pinto beans and rice.

I love neck bones. I can skip the rest of a  meal and just eat some neck bones. When I was in Anchorage, I'd pick some up at least once ever couple of weeks. It was such a habit of mine that whenever I took my little nephew  DJ with me to the store, he'd ask if we were going to get my neck bones! 

 Salmon croquettes was never a favorite of mine, but all the rest of my family really likes them. You can bet that the Alaska fam makes croquettes whenever they snag some fresh salmon.

 I have tasted pickled pig. Can't remember if it was a foot, tail, or toe, but I did taste it. I'm not a fan, but I have an uncle who will make a sandwich with pickled pig parts. Ugh.

The whole "Aunt Bay Bay" thing made me do my Jeff Foxworthy imitation. "If you've got relatives named Bay Bay, Peaches, or Skint, then you might be a black Southerner." I'm being silly, but I bet that barbecue sauce is the business though!

One of my favorite "Mama dishes" was navy beans served with hot water cornbread. Another was smothered potatoes and onions with hoe cake. I know how to make the navy beans and hot water cornbread, but trying to find a hoe cake recipe made the way mom did it is driving me crazy. Most recipes I've seen use cornmeal or cornmeal and flour. Mama's bread was made with flour, no cornmeal. Basically, Mama's cakes were similar to Naan only a bit heavier. I don't ever remember eating a cold hoe cake; Mama always served them warm right out of the skillet. As a child, I ate hoe cake with those potatoes or with gravy or even with just some butter and syrup.

Probably good, but it's not
 my mama's recipe...

Mama's hoe cake recipe was simple, from what I recall. Just flour, water, and some lard. I always thought they should have been called "Po' Cakes" as in cakes for poor people. Here's a fact about military families of the past: a lot of us were just as poor as some civilian families.

My mother was truly a genius at feeding 6 kids and 2 adults. We ate a lot of greens - collard, turnip, mustard - and potatoes fixed in more ways than you could imagine. I remember a lot or meals where the main dish was cabbage or one of the "greens" and a ham hock or smoked neck-bone was the only meat. When we did eat meat, it was mostly chicken - smothered, fried, baked, or boiled with some dumplings. I do not remember eating very many hamburgers unless we were having a backyard cookout. (I also didn't eat McDonald's until I was in my mid-teens. What-a-Burger was my childhood "fast food" treat.)

Anyway, I was going through that cookbook and feeling all emotional until I remembered that it had no recipe for my mama's style of hoe cakes. (The one thing it does get right is the way hoe cakes got their name.)

Just like my mama told me

I've recently ordered a vintage cookbook and it's taking 2 days short of forever to get here.  I don't mind the wait though because I snatched up a spiral-bound first printing copy for $17. One day, you won't be able to get near a copy for under around $100-$150, I bet. I don't even want it for the potential future value. The first reason I wanted it was because the cover photo reminds me of my aunt (the one with the cinnamon rolls and chocolate milk!).

The other reason is because of the title. I remember my mother saying something similar - not about food, but life and people in general: "Be of a good heart and a light hand."

My best and favorite memories of my mother are those of her in the kitchen. If she wasn't cooking, she was sitting at the table, sometimes with friends, having coffee. Or she'd be reading her Bible while waiting for a cake or pie to come out of the oven. I used to tell people that my mother's Christian ministry was in feeding people. She would feed anyone. As poor as we sometimes were, my mother could stretch a meal. It would seem she had just enough food for us until someone dropped by, then she could feed twice as many people. I don't know how she did it.

A couple of days ago, I made some chicken and dumplings. I don't even particularly like chicken and dumplings! As the food cooked, I'd take the lid off the pot every now and then just to smell the memories.

Peace
--Free

UPDATE: The other cookbook arrived today (A Good Heart and a Light Hand) and I am so happy I could weep. There are 2 hoe cake recipes: one with flour and one with cornmeal. The flour hoe cake recipe sounds exactly like what my mother used. Others I found would use cold water to make the dough...

 When I cook some, I will be sure to let you all know how they turned out! And, you know what, I 'm going to go ahead and post a photo of the recipe. Couldn't help myself.




The book is a little beat up, but it is a first printing from 1968 (and a from the "Educational Materials Center Tucson Public Schools") so I'm lucky it held up as well as it did. I notice that it was originally meant to be priced at $3. So $17 isn't that bad all these years later. I am going to hold this book precious until the day I die.

**REVIEW** Kuuk Professional 48 Blade Meat Tenderizer

You have to love the name of this product:

That's a 48 blade meat tenderizer by Kuuk

This is a great kitchen tool to have around. My niece had been wanting a tenderizer for a while and I was going to just get her something from Kohl's or Target's, but I never did! I would always forget that it was something she wanted until we were getting ready to prep some food... Yeah. Anyway, when I saw this, I jumped at the chance to get it. (Thought my niece would be just thrilled, but I actually ended up using it before she got around to it. Cos she's always like that.)

As I have said in another review of this item, it's not my mama's kitchen gadget. Of course, my mama used what her mama used...

 Talking 'bout "old school"! 

I took after my mama too, but I eventually got a little more modern. For a long time I had something like this:

Or, I went totally off the grid and just used one of these:

All of those tools will get the job done, but there are some problems. Safety is a big issue (especially for someone with my iffy motor skills) and, even if you don't end up stabbing or hammering a finger, there quality of the finished product. Who wants meat that has been ripped up with a fork or beaten into a ragged mess with one of the old-fashioned tenderizers? 

I'm depressing the handle to expose the blades here

The Kuuk tenderizer takes care of the safety issue and it does more than just tenderize whatever cut of meat you're prepping. Notice the "teeth" on the Kuuk. 

In the above photo, I have the handle depressed so you can see the blades (that I call "teeth"!). But those teeth are kept completely - and safely - stored away when they aren't in use. 

Now the blades are safely stored

I actually like "thinning out" those thicker cuts of meat (which I usually only buy when they are priced better than other cuts), but I could never keep control of the old-fashioned type tenderizer. I'd mostly end up with, say a pork chop, that was either beat all to hell or not well tenderized. 

With the Kuuk's tenderizer, you are basically depressing those blades into the meat evenly and consistently. Because the blades all depress at once when you push on the handle, you can't mess up and mangle a cut of meat the way you can with a standard tool.

Before I forget, here's a little tip that I learned after using the Kuuk a few times: if you want to get tenderize near the bone in a cut of meat,  just place the tool close to the bone and, while you are depressing the blades, kind of move the tool around. It helps "stretch" the meat out and then you can get the blades nearer the area.

In addition to this being such a useful kitchen tool, I'm happy that it cleans up easily. Though it's dishwasher-safe, I literally just swish it around in a shallow dish of hot and soapy bleach water, then rinse - cos, um, meat, germs, bacteria... Once it's clean and dry, the tenderizer tucks back into the clear plastic cover. The whole thing is small enough to fit into a kitchen drawer, but I leave ours on the counter next to the knife rack because it barely takes up any space. 

In summary: Simple to use, simple to clean, simple to store. Also, right now, the cost is under $12 with Amazon Prime or via this site that is also selling the item.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

**REVIEW** Spike Seasoning Gourmet Natural Seasoning

This review took a while to prep because there was so much to sample. The Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning I received was like a deluxe package of goods!

Those of you who know me personally, know that I don't eat spicy "hot" foods. But you also know that I love spice and flavor to my food. Those who know and really love me earn extra credit for loving me after I use my two favorite seasonings: garlic and onion.

Spike Gourmet Natural Seasoning had some goodies for my taste buds and for those of my family. Those guys have mouths lined with asbestos. I am pretty much the only one in my family who can't eat flamingly spicy foods.

Since garlic, onion and tenderizer are powders that are standard in our house, I was able to compare our usual brand to Spike's. The biggest difference I noticed (in Spike's favor) is freshness. The smell of the garlic and onion was much more rich and pleasing. The tenderizer I normally use has a deeper color than Spike's but the ingredients in mine were not as varied.

I really like the "all purpose" salt-free seasoning for my snacks. I used it on some seaweed that I toasted, and on some popcorn. That was tasty. For some reason, I have to season my seaweed in order to enjoy it - no matter how good it is for me! I'm loving trying out the Spike for that reason.

There are some "Vegit" seasonings in the package, but I actually liked the all-purpose so much that it took a couple of days before I got around to using the Vegit Magic. Once I did use it (on some steamed frozen veggies), I was glad I did try it. Not only does it add so much flavor to even bland frozen vegetables, but the ingredients list was a pleaser:

Nutritional yeast, kelp, hydrolyzed soy protein (NO ADDED MSG), toasted onion, powdered dill seed, white pepper, celery, parsley flakes, beet root powder, mushroom powder, orange & lemon peel, papain enzyme, plus a delightful herbal bouquet of the best oregano, sweet basil, marjoram, rosemary and thyme.

Yep. There is nutritional yeast - first on the label - which is something I had blogged about before and still use.

Because my package from Spike contained so many seasonings, I think it's best to let you check out info on them individually. There really is something for each one of your taste buds!

Here is what all was included in my Spike package:

• Original
• Hot 'n Spicy
• Vege-Sal (more for seasoning stuff, - see the Vegit below)
• Onion
• Lemon-Pepper
• Salt-Free (herbs and spices - think "amped up" Mrs. Dash)
• Vegit (this has vegetable in the seasonings, including beet root...)
• Garlic
• 5 Herb
• Tenderizer  (love that this has spinach powder in it!)

When you look at the names of these seasonings you might, like me, think that they are same as what you find on any shelf at the grocery store. However, when you look at the different herbs and spices that Spike blends, you can see a big difference. Like I said before, the first thing I noticed was freshness and smell. Plus, I love how they use some things that just aren't found in a run of the mill jar of seasoning. I'm talking about things like spinach, beet root, mushroom powder, tomato powder... Lots of yummy stuff in blends that I never thought about before.

Spike's is great for any kitchen or cook, but I kept thinking that they are especially good for some particular types of people:

• "Non cooks" or someone who isn't familiar with a variety of spices and seasonings. You can jazz up even simple dishes (baked meats, steamed vegetables and salads, etc.) without being a gourmet cook.
• Someone who has to be careful of sodium in their diet will appreciate the salt-free products offered. 
• Anyone who is interested in trying different blends and twists on common (and uncommon) herbs and seasonings...
• This mention from the Spike page speaks to the origins of the seasonings:

 "SPIKE® MAGIC! Seasonings were created by world-renowned pioneer nutritionist, author and speaker GAYELORD HAUSER in his beautiful test kitchen in Taormina, Sicily."

• Modern Products, the company that produces Spike, has some more information and FAQ's for some specific health and nutrition concerns on their site.

So, there you go. If you are interested in spiking things up with your food, give Spike a try.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one of more of the above-mentioned products via Giveaway Service in exchange for a fair and honest review. When reviewing products, whether sponsored or not, my main goal is to inform my blog readers of my honest and personal opinions.

**REVIEW** Pure Body Naturals Peppermint Oil

Since I was able to use and review Pure Body's Lemon Oil (and am loving it), I noticed when they posted another product. At first, I wondered if I'd be able to find any use for a big bottle of Peppermint Oil -

Pure Body's Peppermint Oil. Nice, big bottle, just like their Lemon Oil. 4 ounces might not sound like a lot, but this stuff is so concentrated that I'll be good for a while.

Of course, I did find a way to use the Peppermint Oil. There are about 3 million of us here in the house for the holidays, and... Okay - there are really only 13 of us that have been hanging out under one roof but, still. What happens when 1 person out of 13 catches a nasty cold? That 1 person plays tag and passes their cold around to the rest of us. That's what happens.

By Day 4 of our family festivities, I think it was 3 of us who were down for the count. Enter me. And my magic Peppermint Oil. And a q-tip.

oil & q-tip

Plus

a stuffed up sniffer

That really helped get the sick folks around here breathing better. Then, because we were taught by my Mama to do hot liquids for a cold, when my turn came around, I put my oil to use again. Since I already had the Lemon Oil, I added a drop of it with a drop of Peppermint Oil into my tea. 

I love this oil. Both of them, actually - the Lemon and Peppermint.

I was so busy finding uses for the oil on my own that it wasn't until yesterday that I got around to paying attention to the other many different uses. Pure Body's list includes:

• Quick Relief from Stress
• Migraines
• Headaches & Anxiety
• Helps Treats Indigestion, Nausea, Diarrhea, Heartburn, IBS and More
• Delivers Fresh Minty Scent & Aroma For House, Home & Office 
• Also Serves as great repellent to SPIDERS, MICE, FLEAS & ANTS

If I check other sources, I find more:

• As a fragrance in soaps & cosmetics
• As a flavoring in foods & beverages

And the oil MIGHT  help with:

• Bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine
• Gas
• Colds
• Coughs
• Inflammation of the mouth and throat
• Sinus and respiratory infections
• Menstrual problems
• Liver and gallbladder problems

Of course, you have to use some common sense before you go off using any product. Also, I did see somewhere (probably online) a warning that some essential oils can break down the rubber in the stoppers they come with. To remedy that, I replace the stopper with the screw-on cap when I'm not using the oils.

By the way, I just mixed some of the 2 oils together for a hot tea. Getting some double benefits in the fight against whatever this nasty cold/virus is that I have.

A couple of final notes: This product is suitable for vegans/vegetarians, and Pure Body offers a Lifetime Money-Back promise if you are unhappy for any reason. I guess you could beat that with a stick, but I don't think you'll want to.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.